Art coalition: Show cancellations require transparent procedures

 

A coalition of 55 art groups has called on the government to provide transparent procedures for show cancellations.

In a statement on Instagram, ReformARTsi urged the government to include creatives in managing complaints about creative events.

“We would like to remind the government that diversity is part of this country’s culture - including being open to differences.

"The government and its agencies must facilitate that way forward with progressive, transparent, well-considered procedures to deal with differing viewpoints; and those procedures must include feedback from all stakeholders,” it said yesterday.

It was commenting on the Central Agency for Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes' (Puspal) cancellation of Singaporean stand-up comedian Sharul Channa’s show after police reports were lodged against one of her old videos that allegedly touched on 3R (race, religion, royalty) issues.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil

Yesterday, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil reportedly said Sharul’s old video was re-uploaded recently to promote her show, resulting in the police reports.

Sharul said her work visa was approved before the show, but Puspal and the police revoked it at the eleventh hour following the complaints.

This was despite Sharul assuring that her set would not touch on 3R issues.

‘Malaysians can decide for themselves’

ReformARTsi said that it is the right of Malaysians to decide for themselves what is acceptable.

"By not allowing the performance after approving the permit, Puspal has effectively erased the rights of every audience member who had paid for their ticket.

"Puspal’s last-minute action also unfairly victimises the artiste, the vendors, the organiser and the audience who had bought the tickets,” it said.

It added that the government had cancelled shows in the past, including the Good Vibes Festival last year, as well as closed down venues, productions and exhibitions for being deemed controversial by certain quarters.

"We would like to demand Puspal and the government that this should not become the trend or almost standard operating procedure for the government to deal with subjects that are deemed controversial by selected groups.

"Instead, we call for more in-depth consideration, investigation and consultation between government agencies and creative practitioners on how to manage complaints and differences that arise from the act of putting on a creative event,” it said.

In July last year, Fahmi ordered an immediate cancellation of the remaining two days of the Good Vibes Festival after a "stunt" by The 1975’s frontman Matt Healy onstage, in which he performed while holding what is believed to be a bottle of alcohol, before kissing the male guitarist.

In 2022, the owners of the Crackhouse Comedy Club had also been blacklisted by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall against registering any business in Kuala Lumpur following a controversial stand-up routine at the club.

Incidentally, following the furore over the standup routine, one of the owners Mohamad Rizal Johan Van Geyzel had been hauled to court where he claimed trial to charges over creating and initiating the distribution of videos that touch on racial sensitivity on social media. - Mkini